Melissa McCarthy hits back at Ghostbusters critics

The 'Ghostbusters' cast have hit back at critics of the all-female reboot.

When the film was originally announced it attracted widespread criticism from fans of the 1984 original - which starred Bill Murray - due to the decision to cast Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig,

Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones as the spook fighting squad.

McCarthy admits she was surprised by the backlash, especially as it came before anyone had even seen the movie.

Speaking at the world premiere of 'Ghostbusters' at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday (10.07.16), McCarthy, 45, said: "Any time someone critiques something that has not yet been made, I find it peculiar. It's like giving a book review to an author who is like, 'I haven't written it yet.'

"I don't pay much attention to it. It's not based in the world."

Her co-star Wiig, 42, shares McCarthy's dismay at the criticism and insists people will enjoy the film if they give it a chance.

She said: "It's really sad that people felt that way, in combination with actually not listening to it.

"We knew we were making the movie in the spirit of the first two, with the people who made the first two. People need to stop being so mean."

McKinnon, 32, hopes all the 'Ghostbusters' fans who attacked the new film will go and see the reboot and "change their minds".

She said: "I hope they see it and change their minds. I mean it's disappointing. I just wanted to get on set and do the best job I could and I think we all did that so I'm excited about it."

Jones, 48, added: "Yeah, because it's stupid!"

The four main cast members were joined at the premiere by their co-stars Andy Garcia and Dan Aykroyd and director Paul Feig and a host of famous faces including Pete Wentz, Lizzy Caplan, Austin Mahone.